


dirty dishes

by timetravelingpalmer



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, nora gets MAD, only kind of angsty though, people need to appreciate ray
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 09:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17444456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timetravelingpalmer/pseuds/timetravelingpalmer
Summary: “Well uh… last year when we were still fighting Mallus and you are your dad took Ray after the pirate mission, it may have taken us a little bit of time to notice.”---aka nora finds out that it took the team days to figure that ray was taken and she is... less than happy. alternate title: ray deserves better.





	dirty dishes

**Author's Note:**

> okay imma be real this is me just projecting myself on to nora becasue SOMEONE has to be as outraged as I am about the fact that they literally forgot ray existed for like a week  
> \-   
> BIG THANKS TO @MrsNoraPalmer and @princesstomaz love both of yall  
> -  
> hope you enjoy it :)))

It was never a strange occurrence when someone got kidnapped on their missions, so it really was a matter of time until it was Rays turn. The more it happened the more Nora thought that Ray should make a wheel to figure out who’s turn it was, like he did with the chores. 

 

Really now she was just glad to have him back. He had only been gone for a few hours but none of them had any idea who the people that took him were or what they could have been doing to him, so Nora was worried sick. 

 

Nora would have been more than content to just go to their room and make up for lost time, grabbing Rays arm and guiding him away from the bridge. But, before they were out of ear shot, she couldn’t help but overhear a snide comment from Mick. 

 

“At least we noticed he was missing this time.”

 

Nora’s eyes widened. She had no idea what he was talking about but she had a feeling it wasn’t good news. Also, by the way Ray looked up at all of them, looking for answers, she could tell that he didn’t know either.

 

“What are you talking about?” Nora demanded. 

 

Just about everyone in the room looked guilty. Everyone besides Charlie and Constantine, who looked just as confused as her and Ray. Zari was shooting daggers at Sara, seemingly urging her to step up and explain. 

 

“Well uh… last year when we were still fighting Mallus and you are your dad took Ray after the pirate mission, it may have taken us a  _little_ bit of time to notice.”

 

Nora instantly felt anger flood her veins. Her teeth clenched together as he fingers did the same around Rays wrist.  _What about Ray?_ s he thought. The look on Rays face was devastating. Nora glared at the rest of the team, the people who caused it. The people who just forgot that he existed for days. 

 

“What?” Nora was giving them a chance to explain, make what she just heard sound less terrible. 

 

Zari stepped up. “Ray, I’m really sorry.” She didn’t deny it, only apologized. 

 

“It’s- it’s okay. You guys were probably just busy with other stuff. I get it.” Ray had never been a good liar when it came to missions, coming up with backstories and alibis, but was fantastic at pretending to be okay when he wasn’t. It was something Nora had gotten better at through the months, learning to see passed his sunny disposition. 

 

This time, Nora could tell that it was not okay. 

 

She said it, quietly at first, “Bullshit it’s okay.”

 

Ray places a hand on her shoulder, sensing she was getting upset. “Nora-“

 

“No Ray!” Nora pulled away looking right at him. “You don’t deserve to be treated this way.” She looked back at the rest of them. “You guys are supposed to be his friends. How did you really not notice? How long was it before you did?” 

 

“Long enough for the dishes to stack up.” Mick said partly to himself but certainly loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. 

 

“MICK!” multiple voices in the room piped up in anger. 

 

Nora’s eyebrows raised. Ray went absolutely silent. Her magic let her sense his feelings occasionally, like quiet whispers in the back of her brain, but now all she could feel was hurt. It was almost deafening. It weighed down on her chest. 

 

With enough edge to cut through diamonds Nora said “What?” 

 

Sara stepped forward again, looking only at Ray, never at Nora. “Well we started to suspect when the dishes weren’t done, we know how you love doing those, and then we got the video right after.”

 

_The dishes. The fucking dishes._   


 

They really didn’t care as long as he was doing something for them. It wasn’t the morning after her and her father had taken him and Zari wanted someone to play video games, or Nate wanted to watch star wars, or Sara wanted someone to spar with. It was only after days, when he stopped doing the goddamn dishes. 

 

If Nora thought that she was mad before, she didn’t even know what she was feeling now. 

 

“How dare you?” Ray squeezed her shoulder, still far too silent. “You are supposed to be his team, his family, the people that look out for him. How can you even say you give a shit about him if you don’t even notice he’s gone for four fucking days?” Four days. That’s when Ray recorded the ransom note. Four entire days after they have took him. 

 

Sara was never one to just lay down and take it. Even though Nora could tell that she felt guilty Sara still fought back, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh we really want to talk about who cares about him? Are we just all going to forget who is the one that took him in the first place?”

 

Nora knew it was something one of them was going to bring up at some point. It was a low blow, but still nothing that wasn’t true. Over time she had learned not to get upset with people who dredge up tidbits from her past, she knew she was a bad person but she was doing everything in her power to change that. 

 

“Yeah, I was a shitty person, I have never denied that and I’m not making excuses for it. At the time when I took him, I really didn’t care about Ray, but that all changed within a week in Berlin.  But, you guys are supposed to be the good guys, the hero's with hearts of gold. Now it’s clear that you’re really just a group of assholes.” Nora voice got louder and louder. “You only noticed that he was gone when he stopped doing things for you! As soon as you stopped getting what you wanted from him,  _then_ you started the search party! As soon as you had to raise a finger to do fucking  _dishes_ that’s when you thought something was wrong!”

 

After that no one in the room seemed to want to come to their own defense. Ray, now a sickly pale color, twisted his hand away from her and walked down the hall, mumbling something about needing a minute. Guilt now plagued Nora. Maybe she said too much, took too hard a stance. No one would want to be confronted with a terrible truth like this one and Ray was never one for confrontation. She was scared that she had done nothing to help him, only made this revelation harder to swallow. 

 

Before turning to follow him out of the room she looked to the others. “He deserves better than this. I think you guys all know that. He is so much more than the team boy scout, he was supposed to be your  _family_ . You were supposed to look out for him.” Nora said it much more quiet than she had before, but no less severe. She was beyond disappointed. She knew that Ray was amazing and deserved the world, it was just a shame he couldn’t get it. 

 

When Nora turned into their shared bedroom she saw him sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. She knocked gently on the door frame to signal her entrance. Ray shot up, wiping at his eyes. They were rimmed red and puffy and Nora wished she could pretend that they weren’t. She came and sat next to him, putting an arm around him and pulling him closer. She pulled her other hand through his hair. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah… yeah.. Totally. I’m fine.” 

 

If he wasn’t so upset Nora could see herself making a joke about how pathetic of a liar he is. “It’s okay if you aren’t. Given the circumstances I’d be worried if you were.”

 

Ray shook his head. “No. I’m probably just being overly sensitive, I always seem to be.”

 

Nora wanted to scream. Not at him, not really. She hated that he think he was worth so little, that he didn’t even deserve to be upset that his friends completely forgot about him. He was worth so much, as not just a team member, but a friend, or even just a person. The fact that he couldn’t see that for himself made ice rush through Nora’s veins. 

 

She tried to be as gentle as possible when she asked, “You don’t really think that do you?” 

 

Ray shrugged. “They were probably busy. I know how chaotic the ship gets. Sometimes things get pushed under the rug for the time being but in the end things always end up okay. They can’t be responsible for everything..” He continued listing excuse after excuse.

 

She really couldn’t stand to hear this. She took his hands, that were once in his lap, in hers. “No Ray. I know that it’s hard to hear, and you are so good and want to see the best in everyone and always want to forgive, but there isn’t an excuse. I haven’t had a real friend, but I know that not how you treat them. You are allowed to be upset. You are not overreacting.”

 

Ray sighed. “But I still do care about them. I don’t just want to leave or anything like that.”

 

“You don’t have to. You are always going to forgive them and that’s something that I love about you.” Nora rubbed her thumb in circles around the back of his hand. “I’m sorry I blew up back there. Hearing it so bluntly put like that couldn’t have been pleasant. I just was so mad that they treat you like that. I know that I was the reason you were taken in the first place, there really isn’t an excuse for that, but they were supposed to be the ones protecting you when I wasn’t.”

 

Ray looked at her, eyes wide. “It not your fault.” He said the words so quickly, like it was blasphemy that she would be to blame for any of this. “You didn’t say anything that wasn’t true and if you didn’t say it, no one would have. Even though I forgive them and I don’t want to be upset about it, I don’t want it to just be forgotten so quickly either.”

 

“That’s okay. But, I also want you to know that even though I just apologized to you, I am never going to apologize to them. They acted like assholes and deserved to be yelled at.”

 

Ray smiled and pressed a kiss into her hair, chuckling slightly. “I would expect nothing less.”

 

Nora was glad the mood in the room had lightened. She hated seeing him upset. “Now that I’m here though, I’m gonna protect your ass off.” Ray laughed. Her favorite sound. “I’m serious Palmer. I’m not gonna let you out of my sight anytime soon. 

 

\------

 

Nora couldn’t make herself fall asleep. After they had talked her and Ray lied in bed until they had both drifted off, still tired from the mission they were just on and the emotional moments that followed. She stirred throughout the night, unable to sleep for more than two hours at a time. She just couldn’t stop thinking about what had been revealed earlier that day. Ray was feeling a lot better about it but that only helped a little. Nora didn’t want to have to pretend to be civil with Sara, or any of them tomorrow. She wanted a break

 

She looked to the clock that sat on the bedside table. It read 3:37 am. Long before Ray would wake up. Even though he was an early riser, that didn’t mean he got up at four in the morning.

She had an idea.

 

“Hey Gideon?” She asked quietly,as not to wake Ray even though he slept like the dead. 

 

“Yes Miss. Darhk?”

 

“Is there any place where Ray and I can go?” Nora knew that she could be way more specific but with how perceptive the AI is, she wouldn’t be surprised if Gideon could read thoughts. 

 

“I have a place, a cabin in the mountains, that I think will be suitable. I’ll put the coordinates in the jumpship for whenever you are ready.”

 

Nora grinned. “Are you just fast or did you have that ready?”

 

“I had a feeling I would need it.” Nora could basically hear the smirk lingering behind the words.

 

She then remembered one of the most important details. “Gideon? Don’t tell anyone about his either.” There wasn’t an answer but Nora could tell that Gideon heard every word and would keep her code-made lips shut.

 

Nora pushed herself out of the bed and made her way to the small closet in the corner of the room. She pulled out all of the clothes she knew he liked the most as well as some of her own and shoved them in a bag. Once she had finished packing she asked Gideon to fade in the lights as Nora made her way to the bed to wake up Ray. She shook his shoulder.

 

“Hey, Ray, get up.” Nora said gently, even though ‘gentle’ was never quite her forte.

 

He opened his eyes, squinting against the very, very dim lights. “Hey.” He rubbed his hands up and her arm that was holding him. “What are you doing awake?” Ray knew that she would never get up before ten in the morning if she didn’t have to. “Did you have a nightmare?” 

 

_God he's sweet,_ Nora thought to herself. His worries about her mixed with the gruff in his voice from the lack of sleep made the sentiment even more endearing. 

 

“No,” She shook her head gently. “I was just thinking that we could go on a trip. Take a little time away.”

 

Ray, probably not even fully understanding what she said, brain so clouded with sleep, nodded. “Yeah. Good idea hon.” He yawned again. 

 

Nora smirked. “Glad you agree.” She pulled him up into a sitting position. Ray woke up slightly, but was still so tired that his head fell against his shoulders. 

 

Finally coming to his senses, Ray looked at the clock and saw that it was the early hours of the morning. “Wait why are we going now?”

 

Nora shrugged only slightly as she pushed the bags she had packed in his arms. “I think we both just need a break. I know I do. I don’t know if I am going to be able to control myself if I see the team again.”

 

“Oh so that's what this is about.” Ray was finally starting to wake up.

 

“Yep.” Nora wasn’t going to try and hide the fact that she was still upset about what transpired on the bridge only hours ago. She had a right to be angry, but more than that Ray did. “Come on Palmer, let’s get out of here.”

 

He got out of bed but still seemed hesitant. “Should we tell anyone?”  

 

He really didn’t get it did he? Nora was already excited to have some time alone with Ray, but the fact that she also wasn’t telling anyone and proving her point that they should appreciate Ray more was the satisfying cherry on top. They didn’t appreciate Ray? Fine. They wouldn’t get him. 

 

Thankfully, Nora was able to get that all across with a simple look. Ray was never the best at picking up on subtext, but over time had gotten to be great at reading her, understanding what she trying to say before she said it. 

 

Nora lead him out of the room and down the hall to the jump ship. As Ray asked questions that were few and far between. It was clear that he wanted to go but was still just shaken from being awoken and taken out of bed in such a rush. He also seemed to feel a responsibility to the team. “What if they need something?” He asked quietly. 

 

“Then they can message us on the coms or come out and find us.” Nora answered that all too quickly with a bit of a bite. She had been stewing in her anger all night and still seemed to harbor quite a lot of it. Ray didn’t deserve to have it taken out on him, and she knew that he wouldn’t like anyone talking badly about his friends, even after what he had learned about them. So, she tried to lighten the mood. “I’m not taking you for any nefarious reasons this time. And if they don’t contact us in a week or so then maybe we’ll send another ransom video.”

 

Ray laughed. “I don’t exactly think you’re ‘taking me’. I’m pretty willing to go with you.”

 

They both rounded the corner near the jump ship before Ray stopped in his tracks. “Wait where are we actually going?” 

 

Nora just remembered that she never actually told him. Nora didn’t really know that well herself. 

 

Gideon swooped in with all the answers, as usual. “I have found a private cabin in the mountains of Colorado that should do nicely.”

 

Ray squinted and looked up, as if Gideon was looming over them. “Yeah but who does it belong to?”

 

“It is part of a service where you can rent them out for vacations. I already took the liberty of transferring money to them and fabricating a key.”

 

Both of them knew that this was not what Time Bureau funding was supposed to be spent on but Nora sure as hell wasn’t going to say anything. Ray opened his mouth, about to ask for himself, but Nora grabbed his wrist and pulled him in the jump ship, more than ready to have some alone time.

 

\----

 

A few days have gone by and neither of them had heard word from the rest of the team. This time, Ray didn’t seem to mind very much. Both of them got a chance to have some breathing space away from the team. Even ignoring the new revelations about the teams lack in memory that, oh yeah, Ray exists, the pair were happy to have a break. Since the very beginning of their relationship, before it had even become romantic, they had been under a microscope. First, with Time Bureau monitored visits in jail, then to living on a ship with five other people that had no sense of boundaries, they more than needed the alone time. 

 

They had spent their time hiking, taking in the scenic views as well as taking full advantage of the hot tub. Nora was just glad that she got to spend time with him away from anyone else. That much already had to be clear, she was the one that came up with the whole idea of leaving in the first place. 

 

On their fourth day, they sat together on their balcony facing the sunrise. 

 

“I’m glad you decided to do this.” Ray said softly, his thumb tracing patterns across her hand. 

 

“I am too.” Nora took a deep breath. “I was getting real sick of them.”

 

Ray chuckled in response. “Hey, be nice.”

 

“I will be when we get back. They can’t hear me out here you know.”

 

They both drifted off into a few beats of silence. 

 

“They really don’t deserve you.”

 

This had been something that Nora had grown accustomed to saying in the last few days. She never said it for any real reason. She wasn’t expecting Ray to leave. Part of her thought that it was because she just wanted Ray to know. Ray had a tendency to talk himself down and Nora just wanted him to know that at least in her eyes he was miles above all of them. 

 

“It's not about that. I’m not friends with them for some great reward.” 

 

Nora thought about how low Rays standard for a ‘reward’ was if he thought that people noticing if he was in the room counted.

 

“I sure as hell don’t deserve you either.” 

 

“Of course you do.” No matter how much Nora tried to talk herself down, Ray never accepted that. He never let her dredge up her past just to let herself feel hurt or less than. 

 

Nora laughed. “Well I do think I would notice if you left so thay does rank me higher than them right? I mean I notice when your socks aren’t matching.”

 

“Between you and me,” Ray looked at her seriously, “you do rank higher than them. Don’t you dare tell them that.” 

 

Ray was probably imagining Nora getting in a tiny spat with any one of the legends and saying “Ray likes me more than you.” And, he was totally right in thinking that. Nora was in fact storing that tidbit of information away for a rainy day. Though at the same time, Nora’s heart bounced in her chest. She probably could have guessed this on her own, but hearing confirmation that she was Ray Palmer's favorite person made something happy and warm bubble up in her stomach. 

 

The moment was cut short by Nora’s phone going off. 

 

It was Sara.

 

Nora rolled her eyes and put on her most sickenly sweet voice possible before answering all too innocently. “Hello?” She put it on speaker so Ray could hear as well, but put a finger to her lips, telling him to let her do the talking

 

Sara was not in the mood for Nora’s theatrics. “Come back.”

 

“I don’t know I’ll have to think about it. Do you appreciate Ray yet?”

 

Rays eyes widened as he looked at her. He didn’t want her to cause any more conflict than there already was.  Nora laughed and waved him off. She was just having a bit of fun. 

 

She could hear Sara’s dramatic sigh through the speakers of the phone. “Yes.” 

 

“Hmm. Then why did it take you four days to notice we were gone?” Nora continued to poke and prod at the teams captain. She could almost feel her rolling her eyes. 

 

“We noticed as soon was we woke up the next day. We tried to find you but Gideon says it would be against her protocol to go against the orders of a member of the team.” She seemed to point that at Nora directly. “And we figured that a few days away from each other couldn’t hurt. We are going on a mission and we need you guys back okay?”

 

“On our way!”

 

“Ugh fine.” 

 

The pair said in unison as Sara hung up. 

 

“So I guess this is it.” Nora said, somewhat sad their trip had to come to an end. 

 

Ray squeezed her hand. “Thank you for doing this. It really means a lot to me.”

 

“I needed it just as much. I probably would have strangled at least one of them if I hadn't taken a step back.” 

 

Ray knew Nora had a tendency to do this, to deflect whenever he showed his appreciation for her, told her how much she means to him. Depending on how lighthearted the situation is Ray either laughs it off with her, or lists all the way that she is amazing and how wrong she is for thinking anything otherwise. This time, he just pulled her in close, pressed a kiss to her forehead and said, “Thank you.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> leave a comment if you liked it!! each one makes me so happy :)))


End file.
